GLARING gaps in cancer survival between the UK and other developed
countries have been exposed in a major study.

The research, part-funded by the Department of Health, suggests
that thousands of people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are
dying prematurely from common cancers each year.

In some cases survival rates in the UK countries were more than 10%
lower than those elsewhere in Europe, Australia and Canada.

The study authors, including the Government's cancer
"tsar" Professor Sir Michael Richards, said the findings were
consistent with differences in time of diagnosis and treatment. A more
detailed examination of why survival rates differ between countries will
be the subject of future research by the same group, the International
Cancer Benchmarking Partnership.

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